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Home: Video University Forums: Audio For Video:
audio monitoring

ivey
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Dec 17, 2007, 5:29 PM

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audio monitoring	Can't Post

My work flow is this - FCP out to firewire deck - out via RCA to two tv's. I can monitor the audio in several ways and it sounds differant in each instance. I can listen to the audio through computer speakers right from the timeline, I can listen to it from either one of the tvs, I can listen through headphones in four differant ways. 1. connected directly to the headphone port on the computer 2. connected directly to the deck 3. connected to TV #1 4. connected to TV #2. I 've tried all these differant ways and have make adjustments to the audio accordingly. The problem is, if I adjust to one output, the other outputs don't sound right. I kinda figured monitoring through the TV isn't the right way, cause everyones tv is differant. I feel I get better results by listening through the headset connected to the deck. It's the cleanest audio of all. What is the proper way to insure the best audio results?

---Lisa---

Macs, cause they work

Ron Priest
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Dec 17, 2007, 5:56 PM

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Re: [ivey] audio monitoring [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

What is the proper way to insure the best audio results?

Well I would say to monitor your audio meters in FCP, keeping your levels between -12 and -6 dB. In any case, whatever source you use to listen to your audio, you want it to be consistent throughout.
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(This post was edited by Ron Priest on Dec 17, 2007, 6:00 PM)

ivey
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Dec 17, 2007, 6:21 PM

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Re: [Ron Priest] audio monitoring [In reply to]	Can't Post

I do watch the levels in FCP. I'm not really talking about levels. I 'm talking more about blending certain audio together and being able to hear it correctly. I layer lots of audio tracks. Certain monitoring situations show one track to be more predominant while listening to another source makes another track seem a little louder. I am particulary interested in making sure my music tracks don't drown out my audio and vice versa. Also I need to be able to make sure that an audio track doesn't sound to abrupt. I just find that it can vary depending on what audio source I am listening to.

---Lisa---

Macs, cause they work

Mark Foley
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Dec 18, 2007, 7:41 AM

Post #4 of 7 (1013 views)
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Re: [ivey] audio monitoring [In reply to]	Can't Post

Lisa,
Using headphones to do a final output mix can be a bit problematic. Although I use headphones in early stages of audio post work -adjusting levels, listening for artifacts when noise reduction is needed, and discovering small distortions and clicks that you may never hear over loudspeakers. However, don't rely solely on headphones for mixing, for they represent the stereo image differently than loudspeakers and are notoriously unpredictable at low frequencies.
Found this on the net:
"The close proximity of headphone transducers to the ears affects how the audio spectrum is perceived. The lack of physical sensation of deep bass in headphones was discussed earlier. Headphones also tend to be brighter than loudspeakers, because the air attenuates high frequencies from speakers before they reach the ears. Headphones direct all sounds straight to the eardrums, bypassing the acoustic shaping that occurs when sound interacts with the listener's head. Many headphones are now "diffuse-field" equalized so that they sound flat from within the ear canal - although that equalization is based on an average head shape and may not be a good match with every listener. For more information on HRTFs and diffused-field equalization, see A 3-D Audio Primer and A Quick Guide To Headphones."

I would suggest finding some studio monitors to use a final reference for figuring "how it will sound". New ones can be expensive, but used ones on the net can be found pretty cheap. M-Audio makes some good monitors...been some pretty good buzz around audio circle about the new bi amplified Event ALP 5 monitors...

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ivey
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Dec 18, 2007, 10:19 AM

Post #5 of 7 (1002 views)
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Re: [Mark Foley] audio monitoring [In reply to]	Can't Post

Where do these monitors recieve their signal from? Do they hook up to the computer in place of computer speakers? Do they get a feed from the deck? If I go out of the deck with RCA would I take the audio cable and go to the monitors rather than the TV?

EDIT- A quick search led me to these - M-Audio Studio Pro 3 Powered Desktop Monitor
They are pretty reasonable and I see from the pic that they take RCA so I guess that could come right from the deck when outputting via firewire. However, when outputting via HDMI with the intensity card, I wonder how I will get the audio through the monitors?

---Lisa---

Macs, cause they work

(This post was edited by ivey on Dec 18, 2007, 10:25 AM)

MLiebergot
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Dec 18, 2007, 10:39 AM

Post #6 of 7 (997 views)
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Re: [ivey] audio monitoring [In reply to]	Can't Post

Lisa, those aren't bad speakers, I have the M-Audio DX-4 speakers and have been very happy with them.

What you have to watch out for when linking video and audio is to have your video and audio coming out from the same source, ie. computer.
This will prevent sync problems for you when viewing your video and listening to the audio.

So if you are simply listening for your final mix, without worrying about sync issues, as you have already made sure you are synced. then going out from your VCR's or Computers RCA's to the monitors is ok.

If you are worried about mix and sound all of the time, then you should be going through a mixer or another device for both your video and audio.

This is a bonus for me having an Intensity Pro card, as it comes with both HDMI and Composite video and audio in/out. So I am able to go HDMI out to a monitor with built in audio and listen and watch for video and sync isssues, as well as send audio out via Intensity Pro's analog audio out to my speakers.

You could also obviously go out of your computer through a box like the AJA IOHD or MOTU V3HD via firewire, and get perfectly locked video and audio via HDMI and RCA's or anything you like.

Michael

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ivey
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Dec 18, 2007, 11:22 AM

Post #7 of 7 (993 views)
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Re: [MLiebergot] audio monitoring [In reply to]	Can't Post

Those were the other monitors I was looking at. I also have the Intensity Pro card, so I can monitor audio that way. Cool!!

---Lisa---

Macs, cause they work